Tuesday, August 22, 2006
7-Year-Old Agra Girl Fasts for Rains
By Brij Khandelwal
Agra: A 7-year-old Muslim girl who had begun a fast 10 days ago in Agra to appease rain gods was forced to break her fast with some fluids and made to eat fruit. But she is continuing to deny herself food.
Parveen, who hails from a poor peasant family in Jaunai village, in Saiyan block along the Agra-Gwalior road, was made to break her fast Sunday evening on 10th day. She was given an oral re-hydration solution and given some bananas.
Shatrughan Singh, sub-divisional magistrate of Kheragarh, and some officers persuaded Parveen's parents and got her to break the fast.
But she resumed her fast, saying until the rain gods obliged she would not eat. Many areas in western Uttar Pradesh have received less then 50% rainfall this year.
Her fast has inspired hundreds of people to join her in prayers and bhajans. Parveen's family, which includes her 5 brothers and sisters, says that she is determined to starve herself until "Lord Indra smiles" and ensures rainfall.
"Her tapasya (meditation) will not go in vain," say villagers, worried over scanty rainfall in some districts of western UP.
With the monsoon season in its last phase, people here are tired of seeing dark clouds disappear every day. Dry spell has led anxious farmers and agricultural scientists to start working on alternative models.
Farmers have been asked to resort to dry-land farming techniques. According to figures available, the shortfall is more than 50% in 6 districts of Agra division.
Though there has so far been no negative impact on the agricultural operations because there is still a lot of moisture in the soil to take care of the kharif crop, the real fear is of water scarcity in coming months.
Agra: A 7-year-old Muslim girl who had begun a fast 10 days ago in Agra to appease rain gods was forced to break her fast with some fluids and made to eat fruit. But she is continuing to deny herself food.
Parveen, who hails from a poor peasant family in Jaunai village, in Saiyan block along the Agra-Gwalior road, was made to break her fast Sunday evening on 10th day. She was given an oral re-hydration solution and given some bananas.
Shatrughan Singh, sub-divisional magistrate of Kheragarh, and some officers persuaded Parveen's parents and got her to break the fast.
But she resumed her fast, saying until the rain gods obliged she would not eat. Many areas in western Uttar Pradesh have received less then 50% rainfall this year.
Her fast has inspired hundreds of people to join her in prayers and bhajans. Parveen's family, which includes her 5 brothers and sisters, says that she is determined to starve herself until "Lord Indra smiles" and ensures rainfall.
"Her tapasya (meditation) will not go in vain," say villagers, worried over scanty rainfall in some districts of western UP.
With the monsoon season in its last phase, people here are tired of seeing dark clouds disappear every day. Dry spell has led anxious farmers and agricultural scientists to start working on alternative models.
Farmers have been asked to resort to dry-land farming techniques. According to figures available, the shortfall is more than 50% in 6 districts of Agra division.
Though there has so far been no negative impact on the agricultural operations because there is still a lot of moisture in the soil to take care of the kharif crop, the real fear is of water scarcity in coming months.
# posted by mediabhartiwebsolutions @ 7:14 AM 
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